Scottish Executive

Anti-Social Behaviour

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-social behaviour orders have been applied for to date by each local authority.

Jackie Baillie: The Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland has been commissioned by the Executive to undertake an annual exercise to determine the use being made of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs). In the period from 1 April 1999, when ASBOs came into force, to 1 December 1999, some 15 ASBOs had been applied for, of which nine had been granted.

  Figures for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2000 were published in May 2001. They show that the number of ASBOs applied for had risen to 96; 52 of these were granted. The study did not break the figures down by local authority area. Copies of the report, entitled Monitoring the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 14116).

Apprenticeships

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to increase the number of apprenticeships available in the construction industry and related trades in areas where stock transfer is being pursued.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17523 on 11 September 2001.

BSE

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in arriving at a final response to the BSE inquiry report.

Susan Deacon: The UK Government in consultation with the Scottish Executive and other devolved administrations has today published a response to the report of the BSE Inquiry. This follows on from the publication of the interim response on 9 February on which a widespread public consultation was carried out. The consultation responses broadly welcomed the actions taken by government and suggested that the interim response was very much on the right lines. I welcome the fact that there were many extremely useful contributions from Scottish consultees, which have been reflected in the response. The document sets out what the Government has done to address the Phillips inquiry’s findings and conclusions. It also looks forward to further improvements in the near future.

  The Phillips inquiry underlined the importance of contingency planning and for the Government to be open and transparent about risks and uncertainty. This is addressed directly today through the publication of a draft contingency plan against the possibility that in the future BSE might be found in sheep. I welcome this step as part of the overall precautionary strategy in place for managing risk and protecting public health.

Best Value

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether private finance initiative and public/private partnership projects offer best value to Scotland’s citizens.

Angus MacKay: Our policy is that private finance initiative (PFI) should only be used where it represents best value for money. To test for value for money, bids received are compared to a public sector comparator (PSC) which represents an estimate of the whole life cost of procuring of the specified services by conventional means. A study by Arthur Anderson on behalf of HM Treasury showed that average estimated saving against the PSC of the projects examined was 17 per cent.

Cancer

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many residents of the Isle of Arran have, over the past two years, been diagnosed as suffering from breast cancer; whether this figure represents a disproportionate number in relation to Scotland as a whole, and whether it represents an increase on previous years.

Susan Deacon: In the most recent two years for which cancer registrations are available (1997 and 1998) there were nine cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the Isle of Arran, an average of 4.5 cases per year. This compares with an average of 4.1 cases per year for the previous eight years (1989–96) when there were 33 cases.

  Available data suggest that incidence for females resident on the Isle of Arran is higher, but not statistically significantly higher, than for Scotland as a whole.

Children

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the welfare of children in families affected by alcohol abuse is being addressed following the publication of Getting our Priorities Right .

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is currently developing a national Plan for Action on Alcohol Misuse. The needs of children and young people affected by alcohol misuse will be addressed in the plan.

Children

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in improving educational provision for looked after children.

Mr Jack McConnell: We have set a target that all our young people leaving local authority care will have achieved at least English and Maths Standard Grades. We are measuring attainment against this and gathering information about how local authorities are addressing the Learning with Care report’s recommendations. We expect to receive this information by 31 October 2001. This will help us plan a package of measures aimed at improving educational provision for looked after children.

Community Care

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with local authority representatives in relation to the provision of care in the community.

Malcolm Chisholm: We are involved in an on-going dialogue with Scottish local authorities on many different aspects of community care provision.

Crime

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce victim impact statements into Scottish courts and, if so, over what timescale.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Strategy for Victims of Crime includes a commitment to pilot a victims’ statements scheme. We shall be consulting on the proposed procedures for this scheme in the autumn.

Dental Health

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to improve the availability of dental treatment services in Grampian.

Susan Deacon: Steps taken include:

  the availability of Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants to encourage practitioners to set up or expand NHS practices in areas such as Grampian of unmet patient demand or high oral health need;

  approval of five posts to employ dentists directly salaried by the NHS;

  approval of a pilot NHS emergency dental services scheme for unregistered patients;

  the introduction in April of last year of a scheme to reward financially the commitment of dentists to the NHS;

  the early years enhanced capitation fee scheme to encourage dentists to register and provide preventive advice and treatment on the NHS to 0 to 2 and 3 to 5-year-olds.

  Problems of access to NHS dentistry within Scotland is one of the areas being looked at by the Implementation Support Group for the Action Plan for Dental Services in Scotland.

Drug Misuse

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the joint headquarters established by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency, the Scottish Crime Squad, the National Criminal Intelligence Service and HM Customs and Excise benefited from information provided by the Collection and Co-ordination Unit in Paisley.

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a close working relationship between the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency and HM Customs and Excise in collecting local intelligence and information.

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the co-ordination of local intelligence and information involving the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency will be developed in the absence of a Collection and Co-ordination Unit in Paisley.

Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17500 on 28 August 2001.

Drug Misuse

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution local intelligence and information makes to the effectiveness of the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency.

Iain Gray: Local intelligence makes an important contribution to the work of the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency in tackling drug trafficking and other serious and organised crime. It helps provide a clearer picture of the extent of these activities and their impact on local communities, which in turn enables appropriate action to be taken against those responsible.

Drug Misuse

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any changes by Her Majesty’s Government in resources available for the detection of illegal drugs have been discussed with Scottish ministers responsible for various aspects of anti-drug policies.

Iain Gray: Scottish ministers maintain contact with the UK Government on a range of drug matters. I recently met the Home Office Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Anti-Drugs Co-ordination to discuss drug-related issues of mutual interest, including the implementation of our respective drug strategies.

Drug Misuse

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the removal of an HM Customs and Excise detector dog unit will have any adverse effect on the Executive’s campaign to reduce the impact of illegal drugs.

Iain Gray: No. The establishment of regional HM Customs and Excise detector dog teams will benefit Scotland. These are highly mobile and flexible units, each trained in a wider range of skills than was previously available in the smaller, local teams. This means that Customs operations in Scotland now have access to dog teams trained not only in illegal drug detection, but also, for example, in tobacco and cash detection.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop a programme to help methadone dependent people reduce their dosage and eventually come off the drug.

Iain Gray: Guidance for clinicians on the prescribing of methadone is given in Drug Misuse and Dependence - Guidance on Clinical Management .

  Following the publication of its Initial Guidance in shared Care Arrangements in February 2001, the Scottish Executive’s Effective Interventions Unit is working with health and social care professionals, and the voluntary sector, to develop an effective model of integrated care for drug users. Substitute prescribing may be a component of treatment for many, although not all, drug users.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the additional resources for drug rehabilitation announced by the Minister for Finance and Local Government on 28 June 2001 will be used for rapid detoxification programmes.

Iain Gray: £3.1 million of the additional resources, announced on 28 June 2001, is being made available to health boards for drug treatment services. It is for them, and the local Drug Action Teams, to determine how that funding will be used, taking into account local and national priorities and targets.

Education

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the planned guidelines on home schooling will be available and how prescriptive they will be.

Mr Jack McConnell: Draft guidance on the circumstances in which parents may choose to educate their children at home is being issued to interested parties for consultation shortly. The draft guidance will address a wide range of issues that were raised by education authorities and by home education organisations during initial consultation on the scope of the guidance. It will offer clarification of the legislative position and general advice on principles and procedures.

Education

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the planned guidelines on home schooling will be common to all education authorities.

Mr Jack McConnell: The guidance on the circumstances in which children may choose to educate their children at home will be common to all education authorities. It will be issued under section 14 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000, which states that all authorities must have regard to any guidance issued under that section.

Education

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many universities and further education colleges are in deficit and, in each case, by how much.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This information is not held centrally. Issues of funding and financial health are a matter for institutions themselves and the Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education.

Education

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make available its report on the responses to  Assessing our children’s educational needs: The Way Forward .

Nicol Stephen: Copies of the responses to the Record of Needs consultation are in the Scottish Executive library. Ministers are currently considering the responses and it is expected that outline proposals for change will be published by the end of the year.

Elections

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase the number of visually impaired people voting in local elections.

Angus MacKay: The Representation of the People Act 2000 made changes to parliamentary elections rules in relation to assistance with voting for people with disabilities. Similar measures will be introduced for local government elections later this year and will make it easier for visually impaired people to cast their votes.

Enterprise

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the proposals for development of the Fort William waterfront.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive believe the proposals have the potential to benefit not only Fort William but also communities throughout Lochaber, both in terms of job creation and the local economy.

Enterprise

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16761 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 July 2001, how the one-off savings accrued from a delay in project implementation can be allocated to pay for on-going budgets such as the budget to meet the commitment to personal care for elderly people.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Regional Selective Assistance is a demand-led scheme. The savings on the scheme’s expenditure, as identified in the answer to question S1W-16761 answered on 17 July 2001, reflected existing commitments and the expected future flow of new cases. Anticipated commitments in respect of Regional Selective Assistance will therefore continue to be met.

Exam Results

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases the Scottish Qualifications Authority has failed to notify universities or colleges of potential undergraduates’ results in the 2001 diet of results and how it proposes to address these cases.

Mr Jack McConnell: Specific arrangements in connection with exam results and appeals are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), and I will ask the Chair to write to you with a more detailed response to your query.

  The SQA does not pass results directly to higher education institutions but via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Prior to the issue of this summer’s exam results, UCAS notified the SQA of the results that it would require for onward transmission to higher education institutions. The SQA supplied results to UCAS for those candidates on 4 August, three days ahead of schedule.

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why only preselected invitees constitute the audience at its Budget Roadshows.

Angus MacKay: Invitees to these events were not preselected.

  An open invitation was sent to various public, private and voluntary bodies in those areas. These organisations were asked to nominate representatives and recommend other local bodies which the Executive could extend an invite to. In this way a range of local interests, including political parties, were represented at each event.

  Asking for nominations also allowed the Executive to issue a written invitation and a copy of The Scottish Budget to each nominee prior to the event.

Finance

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many invitees attended the Budget Roadshows in (a) Kilmarnock and (b) Dundee.

Angus MacKay: 67 people from across a broad range of public and private sector bodies attended the Budget Roadshow in Kilmarnock and 48 attended in Dundee.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it will announce any underspend in the budget for 2000-01 and the implications of any such underspend for detailed budgets.

Angus MacKay: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18253 on 19 September 2001.

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to contain the cost of the administration of devolved government services.

Angus MacKay: Expenditure on administering the Scottish Executive is subject to the same rigorous scrutiny and control as other areas of the budget. Details of the target to contain spending on the administration by the Scottish Executive relative to the total Scottish budget are presented annually to Parliament in the supporting budget documents which accompany the Budget Bill. The latest figures for 2001-02 and the plans for future years show that total spending on administration as a proportion of the total budget is about 1 per cent, the same as in 1997-98.

Flood Prevention

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17501 by Sarah Boyack on 28 August 2001, when it expects to be in possession of the study into the alleviation of flooding at Blackstone Roundabout, Newark, Port Glasgow.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is now in possession of the study undertaken by Inverclyde Council. The study confirms that the main cause of flooding at this location is due to upstream problems with local watercourses that are the responsibility of Inverclyde Council. It also confirms that there are no defects in the road drainage system.

  Measures to relieve flooding in the area have been identified and the council has confirmed that when completed these measures should reduce the likelihood of any encroachment of floodwater onto the A8 trunk road at Blackstone Roundabout, Newark, Port Glasgow.

Genetically Modified Crops

Mr John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in the light of the report by the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission on GM crop trials.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive welcomes the commission’s report and, in particular, its cautious support for completion of the current farm scale evaluation programme. However, the detailed recommendations of the commission are currently being considered and a full response will be prepared and published later in the year.

Health

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of Waardenburg Syndrome have been identified in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information is not available centrally.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve clinical governance in the health service.

Susan Deacon: The Chief Medical Officer is currently consulting on a proposal to integrate Scotland’s clinical effectiveness organisations into a single new organisation and, by so doing, provide NHSScotland with clinical governance at a national level.

Health

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Healthy Living Centre Initiative project proposals have been submitted, where these proposals are based and which proposals have been successful to date.

Susan Deacon: The Healthy Living Centre application process consists of two stages, the first of which had a closing date of December 2000. There were 165 first stage applications in total. The New Opportunities Fund believes that these applications provide good geographical spread, both by health board and local authority areas. There have been 15 projects approved to date and details of these are on the fund’s website at www.nof.org.uk .

Health

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is represented on the committee that vets Healthy Initiative Living Centre project proposals.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive Health Department has observer status on the New Opportunities Fund’s Scotland Healthy Living Centre Committee, which considers and makes decisions on applications from Scottish projects.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Thin Prep Pap test has been proven to be both cost and clinically effective.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the results of the Scottish clinical trials of the Thin Prep Pap tests will be available.

Susan Deacon: In June 2000 the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) indicated that, while Liquid Based Cytology (Thin Prep Pap test) was effective, further evidence was required on the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the technique and that a programme of pilots should evaluate this. Further information will be available once the pilot studies in England and Scotland have been completed and have been evaluated further by NICE. This is likely to be in 2002-03.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Thin Prep Pap tests will be made available to women across Scotland.

Susan Deacon: The evaluation of the findings of the Scottish Liquid Based Cytology pilot (Thin Prep Pap test) and consideration by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence of the English and Scottish pilot programmes will provide the necessary basis on which decisions can be made as to whether or not the new technology will be introduced into the cervical screening programme.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are proposals to use the Thin Prep Pap test to screen simultaneously for human papilloma virus, chlamydia and cervical cancer.

Susan Deacon: There are currently no proposals to use the Thin Prep Pap test to screen simultaneously for human papilloma virus, chlamydia and cervical cancer.

Her Majesty the Queen’s Golden Jubilee

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what high profile or VIP visits to, or events in, Edinburgh are planned as a result of the Queen’s jubilee in 2002.

Henry McLeish: The arrangements for Her Majesty’s Golden jubilee are in the first instance a matter for Buckingham Palace. However, as I indicated in the answer to question S1W-11479 on 22 June this year, the Queen will visit Scotland from 23 to 29 May 2002 and, as previously announced, will attend the opening of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh on 25 May 2002. I hope to be able to make a further statement to the Parliament before the end of the year giving details of The Queen’s golden jubilee engagements both in Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland.

Higher Education

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it holds information on the number of graduate traineeships or sandwich year places, in fields where vocational experience is required for professional recognition by an institute or other body, provided annually by (a) local authorities and (b) non-departmental public bodies.

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what policies the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council has regarding the provision to higher education institutions of funding in respect of sandwich year students who are undertaking a period of full-time employment as part of their studies and whether any such funding may be passed on to the bodies employing such students or otherwise used to support the students.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) and Circular Letter HE 42/2000, available on SHEFC’s website, gives details of which students SHEFC classifies as eligible for funding. It is for institutions to enter into their own agreements with employers for the provision of placements for sandwich course students. Funding from the council is for institutions to meet the direct and indirect costs of teaching and learning; it is for institutions to decide how they allocate resources.

Higher Education

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students (a) graduated in each of the last three years and (b) are expected to graduate in each of the next three years from higher education courses in fields which require them to undertake further vocational experience in order to achieve professional recognition by an institute or other body.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This information is not held centrally.

Higher and Further Education

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support is given per student place to each academic institution in the higher and further education sectors and what plans there are to review these figures.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The funding of individual higher education institutions and colleges of further education in Scotland is a matter for their respective funding councils. For 2001-02, grant-in-aid by the Scottish Executive to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) will amount to almost £660 million. Grant-in-aid to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) for 2001-02 will amount to £410 million.

  This will support modest further growth in the higher education sector, increasing places to 120,700 (full-time equivalent), not including newly designated institutions and Open University places in Scotland, and will allow SHEFC to increase on the units of resource for teaching and research by 4 per cent, the first real terms increase in almost 20 years. The Executive’s increase in grant-in-aid allocation to SFEFC will support growth in college enrolments to over 460,000.

  Details of grant-in-aid allocated to individual institutions are available from the Scottish funding councils for further and higher education.

Higher and Further Education

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in partnership with local authorities and with higher and further education institutions to ensure that sufficient graduate traineeships and sandwich year placements are available in future years in fields where vocational experience is required for professional recognition by an institute or other body.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This is a matter for local discussion and agreement as required.

Hospitals

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps the NHS is taking to consult service users on the design and layout of patient facilities in new build hospitals.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is working with the NHS to ensure that patients and the public are involved effectively in decisions regarding the design and delivery of services. The nature and degree of involvement or consultation will vary according to circumstances and the nature of the service change being proposed.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will only approve large-scale stock transfers proposals subject to guaranteed speedy progress to second stage transfers to community-based registered social landlords as recommended in the 3rd Report, 2000 of the Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee, Housing Stock Transfer , and, if so, what its definition of "guaranteed speedy progress" will be.

Ms Margaret Curran: As indicated in the Scottish Executive’s response to that report, we will examine business plans to assess whether they deliver further choices to tenants for more localised solutions which are best suited to individual transfer proposals, taking account of tenants’ views.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that those who lend funds to organisations who have taken over housing stock following wholesale stock transfer do not wield undue influence on those organisations.

Ms Margaret Curran: Registered Social Landlords have a continuing obligation to meet Scottish Homes’ Registration Criteria and Performance Standards, which are aimed at protecting their independence and ensuring that they can operate free from inappropriate influence.

Housing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new build homes for social renting in (a) Glasgow and (b) the rest of Scotland (i) were built over the last five years and (ii) are expected to be built over the next five years as a result of grants to housing associations.

Jackie Baillie: The table shows the number of new build houses for social renting by housing associations that Scottish Homes approved in Glasgow City, and the rest of Scotland, over the five years to 2000-01 and the estimated number of approvals likely to be given in the current year. Information is not yet available for the number of houses approved for construction beyond this year.

  


 


1996-97 
  

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 (estimated) 
  



Glasgow City 
  

642 
  

493 
  

643 
  

818 
  

1,032 
  

1,110 
  



Rest of Scotland 
  

2,684 
  

2,109 
  

2,418 
  

3,061 
  

3,423 
  

3,300 
  



Total 
  

3,326 
  

2,602 
  

3,061 
  

3,879 
  

4,455 
  

4,410

Housing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much grant funding (a) was made available over the last five years and (b) is expected to be made available over the next five years to housing associations in (i) Glasgow and (ii) the rest of Scotland.

Jackie Baillie: The table shows the grant funding made available by Scottish Homes to housing associations for the construction of houses of all tenure types in Glasgow City and the rest of Scotland for the five years to 2000-01, and an estimate of the grant funding that will be made available in the current year. No figures are available yet for the funding levels beyond the current year.

  





1996-97
(£ million) 
  

1997-98
(£ million) 
  

1998-99
(£ million) 
  

1999-2000
(£ million) 
  

2000-01
(£ million) 
  

2001-02 (estimated) (£ million) 
  



Glasgow City 
  

71.04 
  

48.157 
  

46.745 
  

48.768 
  

53.817 
  

51.0 
  



Rest of Scotland 
  

179.539 
  

122.629 
  

116.7 
  

122.847 
  

127.316 
  

126.5 
  



Total 
  

250.579 
  

170.786 
  

163.445 
  

171.615 
  

181.133 
  

177.5

Housing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money (a) was made available over the last five years and (b) is expected to be made available in the next five years in (i) Glasgow and (ii) the rest of Scotland for improvement and repairs grants for private sector housing.

Jackie Baillie: Since April 1996, the amount set aside for improvement and repairs grants has been for each local authority to determine. The table sets out the actual expenditure by local authorities on improvement and repairs grants for private sector houses, for Scotland and Glasgow for 1996-97 to 2000-01. The figures for 2000-01 are based on provisional outturn figures. No estimates are available for the local authorities estimated expenditure for the next five years.

  


Year (£000) 
  

1996-97 
  

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



Glasgow 
  

8,045 
  

6,240 
  

7,896 
  

6,932 
  

6,390 
  



Scotland 
  

70,931 
  

48,921 
  

44,628 
  

41,177 
  

39,572

Justice

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is reviewing issues relating to sentencing and remission of sentences.

Mr Jim Wallace: We continue to keep sentencing policies and arrangements under review and will bring forward proposals for change as appropriate. On 11 June I announced proposals for new arrangements for the sentencing and management of serious violent and sexual offenders. These proposals will be included in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill.

Justice

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to discontinue use of the term "life imprisonment" as a description of sentences.

Mr Jim Wallace: We have no plans to discontinue the use of the term life imprisonment as a description of sentences.

Legal Aid

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the research required under section 28A of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 into the operation of the Public Defence Solicitors’ Office in Edinburgh will be published.

Mr Jim Wallace: The research report was laid in Parliament today. I intend to study the findings and conclusions very carefully, and will make a statement on my plans in the New Year.

Local Government

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints of maladministration and other matters were (a) received, (b) investigated and (c) found to be warranted and what subsequent action was taken by the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland in each of the past three years.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is given in Appendix 1 of the Annual Reports for 1998-99 and 1999-2000, published by the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland in 1999 and 2000 respectively, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 16262 and 16263). The report for 2000-01 is not yet available.

Local Government

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints of maladministration were received by the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland in relation to Glasgow City Council and what the outcome was of each complaint in each of the past three years.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is given in the Appendices to the Annual Reports for 1998-99 and 1999-2000, published by the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland in 1999 and 2000 respectively, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 16262 and 16263). The report for 2000-01 is not yet available.

Local Government

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used by the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland in deciding whether a complaint of maladministration against a local authority is warranted.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is given in sections 2 and 3 of the Annual Reports for 1998-99 and 1999-2000, published by the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland in 1999 and 2000 respectively, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 16262 and 16263). The report for 2000-01 is not yet available.

Local Government Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any requests it has received from local authorities for increased financial support in the current financial year.

Peter Peacock: The total local government settlement allocations for the current financial year have been allocated in full as part of the overall three-year settlements for 2001-02 to 2003-04. The Minister for Environment and Rural Development announced on 10 May additional financial support of up to £2 million to assist Dumfries and Galloway Council in responding to foot-and-mouth disease. Additional financial support for any new burdens that arise during the settlement period is being discussed on a collective basis with local authorities through COSLA.

NHS Pay

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS staff and their representatives regarding NHS pay modernisation and what progress has been made on this matter.

Susan Deacon: NHS staff and their representatives are fully represented on the Scottish Pay Reference and Implementation Group, which is considering options for implementation of NHS pay modernisation in Scotland in the light of progress on UK negotiations. A series of pay roadshows for staff has also been held across NHSScotland.

NHS Waiting Lists

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are currently on NHS patient waiting lists.

Susan Deacon: 83,487 people were waiting for hospital in-patient or day case treatment on 30 June 2001 – over 3,000 fewer than on the same date last year.

NHS Waiting Lists

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish comprehensive NHS waiting list figures on a quarterly basis.

Susan Deacon: Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency will continue to publish waiting list data as at present.

Planning

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase the accountability of its inquiry reporters unit to the Parliament.

Lewis Macdonald: We have no plans to alter the existing accountability of the Inquiry Reporters unit to the Scottish ministers.

Planning

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to secure the location of the proposed Army Foundation College in Dundee and what form these representations took.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I understand that consideration of these matters within the Ministry of Defence is at a very early stage. My officials will be keeping in touch with developments.

Planning

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what high profile or VIP visits to Edinburgh are planned between now and 31 December 2001.

Mr Jack McConnell: By their nature, VIP visits tend to be arranged and confirmed at fairly short notice. Details of VIP visits and high profile events, however, are not normally made public until the arrangements have been finalised and have been agreed by the visitor or event organiser, ourselves and any other Government department involved.

Police

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend the scheme where the receipts from speed camera fines are retained for investment in new cameras, which has been tested in the Strathclyde police force area.

Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17444 answered on 24 September 2001.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-17668 and S1W-17536 on 28 August 2001 by Mr Jim Wallace, why these questions on HM Prison Kilmarnock were referred for answer by Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, when the Scottish Prison Service does not hold information on this prison; whether the Executive holds such information and, if it does not, whether it will obtain such information from Premier Prison Services in order that it is in the public domain.

Mr Jim Wallace: Paragraph 4.40 of the Framework Document governing the relationship between ministers and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), provides for parliamentary questions related to matters delegated to the SPS to be referred to the Chief Executive for a response.

  The SPS, as the customer of the services provided by the contractor, Premier Prison Services, seeks such information as is appropriate for monitoring the output performance of the contract. This does not include the sort of input information sought which is solely a matter for the contractor.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many questions to the Minister for Justice have been passed to Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), for answer.

Mr Jim Wallace: This information is provided in the SPS Annual Reports, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 7929). It is also available on the SPS website.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to ensure the accurate recording of violent incidents at HM Prison Kilmarnock over the last year and whether the Scottish Prison Service is monitoring the situation.

Iain Gray: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  HMP Kilmarnock complies with the Scottish Prison Service incident reporting procedures in exactly the same way as all other Scottish establishments. This is monitored by both the Scottish Prison Service’s Operations Directorate and their on-site Controller.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its timetable is for ending slopping out, broken down by prison.

Iain Gray: The timetable for ending slopping out is being considered as part of the Estates Review which is currently under way.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the running costs of the Scottish Prison Service headquarters were in each year since 1998.

Iain Gray: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  


Financial Year 
  

Net Running Costs (£ million) 
  



1998-99 
  

11.9 
  



1999-2000 
  

12.0 
  



2000-01 
  

11.9

Public Transport

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the EC Regulations currently under consideration by the European Parliament on the award of public service contracts in passenger transport and what representations it has made or plans to make to the European Parliament regarding these regulations.

Sarah Boyack: I have been working closely with the Department of Transport and the Local Regions, which has the lead on this draft regulation. The Scottish Executive’s position has been incorporated into the briefing which that department has prepared for UK members of the European Parliament. The draft regulation has a long way to go through the EU process and the Executive will ensure that Scotland’s interests are reflected through the UK stance throughout these negotiations.

Rail Services

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to improve services on the east coast mainline.

Sarah Boyack: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is considering proposals for an extension to GNER’s franchise for services on the East Coast Main Line. The proposals are likely to feature improved services and rolling stock. As indicated in my reply to question S1W-17937 on 13 September 2001, I have given the SRA statutory Advice on the extension of the franchise.

Regional Selective Assistance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16761 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 July 2001, whether it will detail the projects whose implementation was delayed and the implications for project timescales.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17081 answered on 15 August 2001.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Annex 3 of Travel Choices for Scotland: Strategic Roads Review , whether it has received recommendations from its inquiry reporters unit in relation to the A1 Haddington to Dunbar draft order scheme, whether a decision letter has been issued and what the terms of any such decision letter are.

Sarah Boyack: The recommendations of the inquiry reporters unit were received in 1997. The A1 Haddington to Dunbar draft order scheme was considered in the strategic roads review and on 4 November 1999 I announced our decision to proceed with the alternative "Expressway option". It follows that no decision letter relating to the draft order scheme was issued.

Schools

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support is available to local authorities who are seeking to use Public/Private Partnerships (PPP) for school improvement projects.

Mr Jack McConnell: I have invited local authorities to submit bids for PPP financial support by 14 December 2001. While I expect the level of support to be similar to that available in 1998, I will circulate further details to authorities following discussions with council leaders on 31 October 2001.

Schools

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support is currently available for repairs to, and replacement of, school buildings.

Mr Jack McConnell: Such financial support is available from different allocations including:

  The new deal for Schools, where £115.7 million was available from 1997 to 2002 and the allocation in the current year is £26.7 million.

  Capital allocations for general local authority investment in infrastructure which will have increased by nearly 40 per cent from 2000-01 to 2003-04.

  The additional £17.2 million made available in the 2000-01 financial year to deal with immediate repairs, maintenance and equipment problems in schools.

  Revenue support for school public/private partnership (PPP) projects with a capital value of £530 million which are either completed or under construction, and financial support totalling £5 million to 21 authorities to support the early development of further potential school PPP projects.

  The establishment of the school buildings improvement fund under which £12 million has been allocated to authorities in the current financial year for repairs to school buildings, with priority expected to be given to improvements for this winter.

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it decided on the amount to be allocated to each local authority in 2001-02 from the school buildings improvement fund announced on 22 August 2001.

Mr Jack McConnell: The resources in the school buildings improvement fund are being distributed to authorities on the basis of the education element of the formula which is at present used for the allocation of capital consents on non-housing programmes under section 94 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to identify and monitor the improvements in schools resulting from the money allocated to local authorities from the school buildings improvement fund.

Mr Jack McConnell: The grant application form requires authorities to provide a summary of the projects on which expenditure has been incurred.

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its school buildings improvement fund is for the current financial year only or whether further allocations are to be made for future years.

Mr Jack McConnell: The arrangements announced at this stage for the School Buildings Improvement Fund cover financial year 2001-02. Arrangements for 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be the subject of further consideration following the meeting I intend to have with local authority leaders on 31 October 2001.

Scottish Executive Buildings

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for sale and lease back schemes in respect of properties which it owns.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive has no current plans for the sale and lease back of properties which it owns.

Student Loans

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations are engaged in the recovery of outstanding student loans in Scotland; when the contracts for such work were concluded, and what details of these contracts are in the public domain.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Student Loans Company appointed the following companies for specific debt recovery services through a public procurement exercise conducted under the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC) competition, the notice being published on 14 October 2000:

  Lewis Group Ltd

  Allied International Credit Ltd

  Legal and Trade Collections Ltd

  Pegasus International

  Scott and Company

  Regal Credit Consultants Ltd

  Wescot Credit Services

  Equifax PLC

  Commercial Collection Services

  Debt Managers Ltd

  OSI Collection Services.

Student Loans

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of outstanding student loans in Scotland has been sold by it or by the Student Loans Company to commercial financial organisations in each of the last three years and what the total value was of any loans sold in each of these years.

Ms Wendy Alexander: On 24 March 1998, the Government sold a portfolio of student loan debt with a value of £1.022 billion to Finance for Higher Education Ltd and on 23 March 1999 sold a second portfolio with a value of £1.030 billion to Honours Trustee Ltd. The loans were selected at random and included a representative proportion of loans to Scottish borrowers (approximately 10 per cent by value).

Student Loans

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish graduates have been advised that they face court action to recover outstanding student loans in each of the last three years.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The number of actions raised in Scottish courts in each of the last three financial years is:

  


1998-99 
  

878 
  



1999-2000 
  

1,711 
  



2000-01 
  

1,834 
  



  These figures relate to borrowers resident in Scotland at the time of the action. They will, therefore, include non-Scottish borrowers resident in Scotland at the time and will not include Scottish borrowers who were the subject of action outwith Scotland.

Teacher Training

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in enabling initial teacher training to be undertaken by distance learning.

Mr Jack McConnell: All teacher education courses must be accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland and approved by Scottish ministers. In order to be given approval, courses must comply with the guidelines for courses of teacher education in Scotland.

  The guidelines do not prohibit distance learning courses. However, such a course would need to be developed and proposed by a higher education institution. No proposals have been received.

  However, I am interested to open up discussion on general issues of accessibility to teacher education with relevant partners and have asked my officials to take this forward. I hope to be able to provide information on our progress in this area in the near future.

Water Charges

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of non-payment of charges by (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic water customers was in each water authority area in each year since 1996-97 and in the first quarter of 2001-02.

Ross Finnie: Published audited information is only available for 1996-97 to 1999-2000. Figures for 2000-01 will be available shortly once the audited accounts for the three water authorities have been laid before Parliament.

  The figures in the table represent the provision for bad debt, split between domestic and non-domestic customers as charged to the accounts.

  Domestic bad debt.

  

 

1996-97 
  

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



ESWA 
  

2.275 
  

3.125 
  

6.087 
  

5.822 
  

7.721 
  



WOSWA 
  

6.68 
  

9.746 
  

11.938 
  

14.528 
  

16.532 
  



NOSWA 
  

2.00 
  

2.6 
  

2.576 
  

3.966 
  

2.0 
  



Total 
  

10.955 
  

15.471 
  

20.601 
  

24.316 
  

26.253 
  



  Non-Domestic bad debt.

  

 

1996-97 
  

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



ESWA 
  

1.945 
  

1.535 
  

1.266 
  

6.462 
  

6.060 
  



WOSWA 
  

4.817 
  

5.235 
  

6.343 
  

3.715 
  

5.744 
  



NOSWA 
  

3.538 
  

1.604 
  

0.596 
  

-0.202 
  

5.1 
  



Total 
  

10.3 
  

8.374 
  

8.205 
  

9.975 
  

16.904

Water Charges

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which capital procurement projects have had to be deferred by water authorities in each year since 1996-97 and in 2001-02 to date due to the non-payment of charges by water customers.

Ross Finnie: The capital programme undertaken by each water authority is agreed annually. The programme agreed takes account of the levels of bad debt expected.

Water Charges

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the East of Scotland Water Authority has been installing water meters in the premises of non-domestic customers with neither prior consultation nor consent and, if so, when it was informed about this practice.

Ross Finnie: This is an operational matter for the East of Scotland Water Authority. I have asked Dr Jon Hargreaves, Chief Executive of ESWA to respond. His response is as follows:

  I have been asked by the minister to respond. A programme of meter installation to non-domestic properties is currently under way. East of Scotland Water undertake this work through our own internal contracting organisation and through external contractors.

  Meters are often installed inside the customer’s property as it is not physically possible to install a meter outside the property (due to the presence of other services or to avoid metering more than one customer’s water supply).

  East of Scotland Water have recently put installation procedures in place to ensure that an appointment is made with customers to both carry out the survey, and to install the meter. This procedure ensures that the customer is given at least 72 hours notice prior to the meter installation.

  East of Scotland Water does not have a policy of knowingly entering private premises without prior consultation and consent from the owner of the property.